


Surviving in Another World

by Sunny030



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, May be OOC at certain points, Plot changes, Reborn - Freeform, Reincarnation, Some dead characters may live, Spoilers, Story within a Story, events from manga, follows timeline, intoanimeworld, kindofatleast, more tags will be updated as story progresses, you know of future events
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:06:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25326622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunny030/pseuds/Sunny030
Summary: You were just an ordinary girl, living your life like you would any other day. But after an unfortunate accident, you wake up inside an anime you had recently watched.As you try and survive in this new world, you must live with the knowledge of what is to come. Not only do you have titans to worry about, but other humans too.
Relationships: Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Reader, Levi/Reader
Comments: 5
Kudos: 70





	1. The one where you wake up in another world

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to this story of you dying and waking up in the world of Attack on titan :)
> 
> As mentioned in the tags, there WILL be spoilers, so DO NOT keep reading if you don't want parts spoiled for you. I started writing this story in June, and it's been an on and off process since I've been pretty busy.
> 
> I promise that I will try my best to update, but please be patient with me at times. 
> 
> Thank you and I hope you enjoy. If you have any suggestions don't be afraid to leave them down in the comments :))

_Fresh air. Huge walls. Large field. No cars. This… is_ not _Chicago._

___

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the looming walls towering over me. I glanced at the unfamiliar surroundings that I was stuck in. Green plains that extended miles and miles away. A few trees here and there, with viridescent leaves dancing in the wind. I took a deep breath, allowing oxygen to flow into my lungs. The air was quite different from the bustling city air which I was used to. 

_It’s quite relaxing._

How did I end up here again? All I remember is that I was a freshman in college, studying at the University of Chicago. It was just like any other day, a broke college student walking through the streets, fooling around with friends. We were an oblivious bunch to the danger that was to come.

It was a dark and windy night when we decided to walk by the harbor. One of the guys in the group suggested that we all should run along the docks. Us, being fools, began to run around as if we were being chased. Suddenly, the girl next to me tripped. I was the unfortunate being standing by her, and as she reached out to me to find her balance, she ended up accidentally pushing me off of the pier. The last thing I remember from that world was the suffocating feeling of drowning under the fresh, heavy waters of Lake Michigan. 

I look up to the bright, blue sky, where I saw a flock of birds flying. The flock flew in a v-shape formation, heading to my left. I let out a sigh.

_At least they know where they are going… where am I even at?_

I tried looking for anything that may give me a hint about my whereabouts when I suddenly heard rambunctious laughter coming from the walls. Puzzled yet relieved, I followed the sound. 

As I walked towards the wall, I noticed that there was a gate that led to the other side of the wall. It was quite big and reminded me of what you would see to the entrance of a castle in medieval times. I kept walking towards the direction I thought the laughter came from, and it soon started to grow louder. Eventually, I reached a small opening in the wall that is big enough for humans to pass through. It was there that I saw a group of men fooling around.

The thing that caught me off guard wasn’t their drunkenness, but what they were wearing. They had a uniform of some sort, seeing as they each wore the same thing. From the insignia on the back of their jackets with roses to the metallic contraption that sat on their hips, it all brought up a sense of deja vu, as if I had seen it all somewhere before.

_Wait… Huge, towering walls, uniforms with emblems, and a contraption that_ very _closely resembles 3DMG?_

I shook my head, not being able to fathom the idea that I could actually be inside of the AoT world. 

_Hah, that’s just crazy._

As I was standing there, pondering in my thoughts, one of the men noticed me. He then motioned towards me to his comrades and soon all of their eyes fell on me. Startled from my train of thought, I smiled awkwardly at them and nodded my head in acknowledgment. 

“Hey, you! What are you doing out here?” one of the drunk men shouted. He seemed to be the one in charge of the other three guys. He was pretty tall, much more than I was used to and well-built. He had short, blonde hair from what I could see. I couldn’t make out his facial appearance since he was quite a few meters away from me. 

As he approached me, his features started to become much clearer, and that is when my face paled.

_It can’t be… is that Hannes?_

Hannes, the man who saved Eren and Mikasa from the smiling titan, who later in the series was killed by that same giant. I blinked a few times and even tried to rub my eyes to snap out of whatever it is that I’m in.

_I must be delusional._

He was soon right in front of me and seemed to sober up a bit at my confused expression.

“Hey, you look pretty young to be wandering around here alone. Are you lost?” He questions with a puzzled face. 

“I-I..” I stutter out. 

_Quick (Y/N), think of something._

I snapped out of my thoughts after figuring out what I could say, using my knowledge of this world.

“I came here… to see Doctor Grisha Jaeger. I have something important to discuss with him.” I lied. Hannes seemed to stop a moment before analyzing me closely. I gulped in fear that my lie would be noticed as he seemed to figure out what to do with me. Suddenly he straightened his back and gave a nonchalant laugh out.

“Well it’s to no surprise that people search for Doctor Jaeger, he is a well-respected doctor after all!” He stated in a gleeful manner. 

“Y-yeah, ha…” I said as I gave him a strained smile. He didn’t seem to take a notice of my stiff appearance as he led me to the entrance of the district. As we got closer to the other soldiers, Hannes began to act in a more laidback manner as he conversed with them on frivolous matters. I zoned out as they talked to each other, thinking about the situation I am in. 

_This is completely insane. One minute I am in Chicago, living my day to day life, and the next I wake up in this titan bearing world. What am I to do?_

I bite my lower lip as I furrow my brows. 

_Think about it rationally. I’ll just accept the fact that I am living in this world. I can’t remain in denial so that I can come up with a plan to survive. When was the fall of Shiganshina..? In the year 845?_

I turn to Hannes.

“By any chance, is the year we’re in right now 845?” 

He turned to look at me and seemed to be in disbelief.

“Of course it is! Have you been living in the Underground or something? Even then everyone should at least know the present year!” He stated in a bewildered fashion. My face paled in the realization of what is to come. 

According to the anime, 845 was the year that the Colossal titan first attacked Shiganshina. It was also the year that the Armored titan breached Wall Maria. Not only that, but that is when the protagonist of the story, Eren, sees his mom die before his eyes as she is eaten by a titan. This strengthens his resolve to join the Survey Corps and the story builds on from there. The thing is, I don’t know at what particular time in the story that the attack happens, only that it was in this year. I scrunch my eyebrow as I think about how I should prepare for the upcoming conflict.

Hannes, noticing my confusion assumes that I am a little lost and offers to take me to the clinic that Mr. Yeager often helps out at. I accept his offer and we begin our way to the clinic. 

As soon as we enter the walls inside of the district, I immediately notice that there are no prominently tall buildings like there were in Chicago. I was obviously expecting that, but the completely different view from the city I am so used to does seem to overwhelm me and seems to confirm the fact that I am indeed in another world. A hint of sadness creeps up over me but is dispersed just as quickly once I am called.

“So kid, what’s your name? I should at least know the name of the person I’m leading the way for,” He states as we pass by a few merchant stalls. The streets are bustling with activity as we head in the direction of our destination.

“My name is (Y/N). And I’m not a kid, I’m already 18 years old!” Assuming I was still the same age as I was on Earth, I told him my age. I was technically a legal adult, although I am not too sure about how it works in this world. Hannes let out an exuberant laugh.

“Well, I guess you aren’t such a kid anymore, young lady! My name is Hannes, I don’t know if I’ve already mentioned it. I have a debt I owe to Mr. Yeager, plus he’s an old friend so I am quite close to him and his family.” Hannes says. He continues to talk about how great of a person Grisha Yeager is, mentioning how he saved many lives when a pandemic broke out a few years back, including his wife’s life. He said it with such an earnest expression that even I was touched. A man with brown hair who was passing by recognized Hannes and greeted him.

“Hey, Hannes! Where are you headed off to now?” The man asks as he approaches us. He wasn’t anybody I recognized in the AoT world, so I came to the conclusion that he must have been a background character. 

“Ah, Niklas! Well, right now I’m taking her to Dr. Yeager’s since she has some business with him.” Hannes says as he motions at me. The man, Niklas, then looks at me and smiles. He then turns back towards Hannes as if realizing something.

“Then she may have to wait a while since Dr. Yeager just left this morning off to the inner walls. I saw him as he was at the gates as I passed by earlier. He seemed to be in a rush so I’m guessing it had to have been something urgent.” Niklas explains. 

“Is that so?” Hannes says, scrunching his eyebrows in contemplation. He then turns to me after deciding what to do.

“In that case, I’ll still lead you to the clinic and you can stay in the inn next door if you need to stay the night. He may not be back for the next few days so you can wait for him if need be,” he proposes and I nod in agreement of his plan. As they talk for a little while, I look up at the sky. I felt a small gust of wind as my eyes narrowed to fend off the dust from entering them. Everything was seemingly calm for a second. Zoning out from the background chatter, I turn towards the entrance to Shiganshina. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary but I had a bad feeling as my breathing grew labored. At that moment Hannes took notice of my ragged breathing, looking a bit worried.

“(Y/N), are you oka-” He was cut off by the sudden flash of light, followed by the shaking ground beneath us. Everyone around us seemed to rush to find their balance before they fell. A few people here and there stumbled to grab onto anything nearby as I hurriedly looked towards the gate entrance. Smoke seemed to rise from the other side of the wall, almost as if something was steaming. Then, a large hand came over the 50-meter wall and latched onto the top of it. It was silent as we all just stared in fear, with some being bewildered. 

“T-that can’t be…”

“No… it isn’t possible.”

“What’s going on?”

People began to mutter out a few words of disbelief as they stared up with wide eyes. And then we all saw it. The head of the Colossal Titan peeking over the wall slowly, staring down at all of the citizens residing inside of Shiganshina District. Knowing what event is about to happen, I grabbed onto Hannes’ arm and pulled him to a stone well that was nearby. It seemed as if he paid no attention to me as his eyes continued to stay glued on the 60-meter giant. Just as I crouched down next to the well and helped Hannes crouch as well, a huge burst of wind started blowing everything away. The well helped us to not feel the full effect of the blast, but other people weren’t as fortunate as debris flew around everywhere. I saw a rock about the size of a bowling ball fly straight towards a woman’s head, effectively crushing her skull and killing her. 

Hannes seemed to finally snap out of it and do his duties as a soldier in this situation. He stood up and began shouting at people to start heading towards the gate to Wall Rose. Screams continued to grow louder as titans began to pour into the district. 

“(Y/N) run! Follow the crowd and head towards Wall Maria!” His screams could barely be heard through the chaos that was going around. Although I knew of what was to come, I was still in shock of it all being so sudden. My eyes shook as I glanced to where the people headed.

_Go (Y/N), run._

I finally snapped out of it when I saw a familiar face.

“Hannes! Hannes!” shouted a young boy with shoulder-length blonde hair. He had bright blue eyes and seemed to be out of breath from all the running he had just done.

“Armin!” My eyes widened in realization. “What is it?” asked Hannes while looking at the panicked boy.

“I-it’s Eren and Mikasa! They rushed back towards the direction of their home but it’s to the south where the gate is broken!” He blurted. Hannes turned to the direction of their house and nodded at Armin.

“Don’t worry, I’ll go and bring them to safety! (Y/N), please head towards Wall Maria with Armin! He knows his way around!” Hannes finalized and then took off running towards the opposite direction, using his 3DMG to speed up. I then turned towards Armin who continued to look worriedly in the direction that the older man took off.

“Armin right? My name is (Y/N), and as much as I know that you’re worried about them, we have to get to safety first. Hannes is a Garrison soldier so he is strong in combat and will be able to save your friends.” I uttered out. The only reason I could say that confidently was because I knew of the story's events, but Armin seemed to feel reassured by my words. He nodded and then we head off towards the gate as fast as we could. 

We continued to run as more screams erupted through the air. As we passed by a store that had been crushed by a rock, I took a look around my surroundings. Grief was apparent in every face that I saw. A man with a bloody leg headed towards the gate, limping profusely. There was a family of three off to the right who were trying to carry whatever they could of their belongings, but it was only burdening them. 

_They won’t be able to make it unless they leave it all behind…_

We finally made it near the dock when an old man approached us. He turned out to be Armin’s grandfather and our group of three huddled to not get lost in the crowd of people. As we waited, I introduced myself to the older man, who told me to call him Mr. Arlert.

“No personal belongings! There needs to be as much space as possible! If you have any leave them behind!” Yelled out a soldier who was standing on one of the boats. 

The crowd murmured in protest, but they eventually yielded and threw out their belongings. Soon afterward, soldiers let down the platform to walk onto the boat. People began to file into the deck of the ship slowly, and within a few minutes, it was half-filled. Armin, his grandfather, and I were among those who managed to get a spot on the ship after seeing that we were a child, elder, and woman traveling together. We sat by the side of the rail, waiting until there weren’t any spots available.

Armin stood up and turned to the crowd of people on the ground, seemingly searching for somebody. 

“Armin. Take a seat.” Mr. Arlert solemnly urged. Armin turned to look at his grandfather, only to turn back away, searching the crowds for his friends.

“But Eren and Mikasa are still out there,” he stated as his eyes landed on two familiar figures. It seemed as if Armin was going to try and get their attention, but his expression soon turned to one of worry after seeing Eren’s expression.

“Eren…” he uttered. 

“I wouldn’t try to call out right now. Who knows what they’ve seen.” implied Mr. Arlert as Armin had a face of realization and lament. A few moments later we were notified that the boat was set to depart, and a few sighs of relief were heard. I tried to move positions to get comfortable on the wooden boat to try and take a slight nap. I then thought to myself:

_Isn’t it about time that the Armoured Titan appears? It’s unavoidable._

Right after that thought, screams were heard near the gate and a second later, a loud crash was heard. It was the sound of the gate separating Wall Maria from Shiganshina District being destroyed. Billows of smoke covered the hole for a moment as everyone stared at the sight in despair. I shut my eyes and tried to forget all of what I had just seen. Regret filled my mind, even if I knew that nothing would have changed if I had said anything earlier in the day. I bit my lip as I remembered the screams of fear and the bloody mess that was left behind in Shiganshina that day. Not only that but the fearsome giants were much more gruesome-looking than they were when I had seen them on screen, enough to cause nightmares.

I took a breath to calm myself and focused on keeping my eyes closed. Seeing nothing but darkness, my mind eventually drew to a blank as I let myself relax and fall into a dreamy abyss where I could escape from all the horrors of the day.


	2. The one where you befriend the main cast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy this chapter! It's still before they're soldiers, but the next chapter will bring in more characters from the show!

I woke up to a gentle prod. My eyes snapped open to the obscure night as I glanced to my left, only to see Mr. Arlert signaling me to follow him. It was yet to be dawn when we finally got off the ship, and everybody seemed to slowly drag their tired bodies out of the deck. 

“Armin is with his friends, we’ll meet up with them on the ground.” clarified the older man. I nodded and we continued to shuffle to the front as more people exited the ship. Eventually, we were able to get down the platform and finally stepped within the safety of the walls once again. The soldiers led the hoard of people to some type of warehouse where mats had been set up. When we got to the first one, I looked inside and noticed the trio we were going to meet up with already inside preparing to go to sleep. 

“Let Armin know that I’ll be resting off to the side over there,” said Mr. Arlert as he pointed to an area where other elders resided. 

“Alright,” I complied as we separated. I began to walk towards the three kids when Armin seemed to take notice of me.

“Ah, (Y/N), is my grandpa with you?” He asks. I shook my head.

“No, he decided to rest to the side over there,” I repeated what his grandfather had told me. Armin nodded as he noticed the look of wariness on his friends. He seemed to come to a realization.

“Eren, Mikasa, this is (Y/N). I saw her with Mr. Hannes when I encountered them earlier when… you know,” Armin explained. I smiled at the two.

“Hi guys, nice to meet you. Although I wish they were in better circumstances,” I mentioned solemnly. Both of them then greeted me politely, cutting it off at that since we were all pretty tired. We finally got into our mats and began to doze off. When everybody had fallen asleep, I heard a noise that made me jolt up. Hearing noises by the door, I quickly feigned sleep as the door creaked open. I had my eyes shut so I could only try and listen to the sounds that the person would make. 

_ Two people? _

The footsteps seemed to approach me but passed right by to a person near me.

“Eren. Wake up Eren,” said the unknown voice. I decided to peek a little bit. The man wore glasses and seemed to be older.

_ Ah, Grisha Yeager, Eren’s father. It must be around this time that Eren becomes a titan shifter. _

I then looked at the second person standing behind Grisha, a man that looked somewhat familiar.

_ Oh my, I didn’t think I would be seeing Keith Shadis this soon, nevertheless with hair. It’s quite unexpected.  _

I contemplated whether I should witness the event that is to come or not as I saw Eren stand up with Mr. Yeager. It seemed like they were walking towards the back of the warehouse, to exit into the woods.

“Hold on… where are you going?” Shadis dreadfully asked. 

“ _ Don’t  _ follow us,” He strictly replied as he didn’t even turn back. By that time Shadis had already caught up to them near the entrance of the forest as they continued to talk. They were out of earshot so I decided to get closer. By the time Grisha had walked into the woods with Eren, I had approached Shadis. He looked at me with a mix of shock and fear, thinking that I had heard their prior conversation. 

“Who are you?” He asks with wariness. I look at him while thinking about how to answer.

_ Great, I should’ve thought of this instead of walking straight up to him. _

“Uh, well, my name is (Y/N) and I actually know Eren and Mr. Yeager.” I stuttered out as he looked at me seriously. He analyzed me for a bit before sighing and walking towards the warehouse.

“Listen here, you don’t want to go into the forest at this time. Just wait for them to come back. I don’t know what Grisha is up to now, so it is best not to enter at this time.” Shadis let out with disdain. He then sat down on the ground, reclining against the wall as he turned back to the forest.

I only smiled at him.

“Don’t worry Mr. Shadis, I am aware of what is going on. Just trust me, I will be okay entering the forest. I just want to make sure Eren is safe.” I declared as Shadis just looked at me with confusion. I bit my tongue in contempt after realizing I stated his name when he hasn’t even introduced himself yet. Thankfully he didn’t catch that slip-up. 

“You know of what’s happening?” He asked. I just nodded as he seemed to meditate on what I had just said. 

“Alright, fine by me but you must be cautious. You are still young and have a life ahead of you. Don’t go wasting it over something so trivial.” He demanded. I only smiled lightly in response and gave him a wave as I walked into the forest. I would have saluted since he was technically a superior, but I wasn’t a soldier. 

As I walked forward, I realized that I didn’t know where Eren and his father had gone. I frowned.

_ What am I supposed to do now?  _

Sighing in defeat, I was about to make my way back to where I came from when I heard a voice nearby. It sounded like shouting but it was at a distance, further into the forest. As I got closer, a strike of lightning ripped through the air, and the impact knocked me off of my feet. I had finally approached the scene where it all happened, only to be greeted by a skeleton that seemed to have come from a titan. It was already vaporizing into steam as a crying Eren sat by it, holding onto his father’s broken glasses. Eren let out a hysterical scream of realization that his father had just died when he suddenly collapsed. He fell onto the ground and I rushed towards the body of the boy who fainted. If only I had arrived sooner I may have been able to ask Grisha some questions or even consult him about Marley. I bit my lip in regret as I stared at Eren and noticed a key around his neck.

_ The basement.  _

The basement of Eren’s house held a secret that nobody within Paradis Island knew of. Nobody except me, but the only reason I know is because I don’t originally come from this world. With this information, I could easily prevent many deaths, but revealing such a huge piece of knowledge may not be the smartest of moves since it could cause dire consequences. I guess I will decide on what to do with it later.

I kneeled by Eren, trying to grab his arms and hook them onto my neck. With a bit of struggle, I managed to get him onto my back so I could manage to carry him easier. My body wasn’t too strong or fit since I never really took the time to exercise, and that is something I’ve come to regret after arriving in this world. Taking slow steps forward, I made my way back to the warehouse.

Keith Shadis seemed to have noticed the strike of lightning since I ended up encountering him before reaching the shelter. He had a worried face as soon as he saw the unconscious Eren on my back and the disappearance of Grisha. 

“Was Grisha not with you two?” He asked in earnest. I shook my head.

“He was gone before I arrived. It’s for the better that we don’t mention what happened tonight to anybody for the time being,” I stated, starting to feel the weariness from carrying the child, not to mention it’s still night time. Shadis nodded grimly as he came up to me and offered to carry Eren. I handed over the sleeping child as I thanked him. Together, we made our way back to the shelter in silence.

\- - - - - - - - - -

When morning came, I was the first in our little group of four to wake up. A few of the other refugees had already woken up and left. I stayed near the trio as I decided to do some static exercises in order to at least build up some muscle. Armin was the first to wake up. He noticed me as I was doing lunges.

“Good morning (Y/N),” he greeted and I returned it.

“Morning Armin,” I said as I continued my exercise. Armin seemed to make no comment as to what I was doing as he left to search for his grandfather. I watched as the two left to gather some food rations. A few minutes later, Mikasa was the next to wake up. She sat up slowly and looked around at first, looking at the sleeping Eren before turning towards me. She nodded at me in acknowledgment as I smiled at the silent girl. A good 15 minutes later, Eren finally woke up just as I finished up the last of the drills. I let them talk for a little while before approaching them.

“Come on guys, it’s time to go get some food rations for ourselves. Armin already went ahead with his grandpa,” I stated as they looked up at me from where they sat. I turned to walk towards the door when they got up and followed. The darkness of the warehouse didn’t prepare us for the bright light that shone outside. I squinted my eyes to look around and what we saw shocked us all. Hundreds, maybe thousands of refugees filled the area, all lining up to grab a portion of food. Seeing it on screen is one thing, but actually being surrounded by so many people is a lot more suffocating. Eren and Mikasa seemed to have a small conversation between themselves, yet I didn’t involve myself seeing as they still seemed a bit uncomfortable around me.

“Eren! Mikasa! (Y/N)!” shouted a child-like voice. It was Armin, who was running towards us with a few loaves of bread in his arms.

“I’m glad I managed to find you guys! My grandpa scrounged a little extra by saying that he has kids,” said Armin. He seemed to be happy as he gave each one of us a loaf of bread. I smiled gratefully and took the bread. I hadn’t noticed how hungry I was until I saw the piece of food. A fox-like man who was wearing a garrison uniform seemed to look at us in disgust before grunting and walking away. We turned to look at the man who had such an apparent disdain for us as Eren glared his way.

“What’s his deal?” Eren muttered.

“It can’t be helped since there is a shortage of food. There are too many refugees. They had already been dealing with famine, and now there is strife between the locals and outsiders.” Armin answered. As he said that, a group of men were in the middle of a scuffle. Two soldiers watched from the sidelines, one of them being the man we saw before.

“Why are we giving our rations to these refugees? Since the titans already broke through, they should’ve eaten a few more people so there would be less of them,” he mentioned as if it was something trivial. Eren grew angry at this response as he marched forward and kicked the man who kept making unnecessary remarks. Angered, the man seemed to raise his hand to hit Eren, but I quickly arrived and pulled the child towards me. He managed to evade the hit but that made the soldier even angrier. 

“Please sir, have mercy on the child. He’s already been through a lot after witnessing the enormous monsters. He is still young and doesn’t know how to deal with the current situation,” I tried to defend him as Eren clenched his teeth to hold himself from yelling out. 

“He’s also very hungry! That’s also why he lashed out so please forgive him,” Armin chipped in and it seemed to work, seeing as the soldier seemed to retreat. The crowd of people dispersed right afterward now that the situation had been solved. 

“Tch, whatever. Kids should learn to be more grateful these days,” the foxy man concluded, while Eren continued to wear an angered expression. We eventually left the crowd of people and found a place where we could eat and talk. I sat down on the ledge of some bricks, reclining my back on the pillar behind me. The trio seemed to be arguing about something when I heard Eren call Armin a coward. Mikasa quickly smacked Eren and seemed to knock some sense into him. She walked forward and forcefully fed Eren the piece of bread that he refused to eat before.

“Eat it. You have to survive,” she said as Eren’s tears began to fall. He finally took the bread and finished it. Soon, we all finished our food, and then we made our way to find Armin’s grandpa. He was the only ‘guardian’ that we could go to, even though I could technically be one. When we got to him, we found out that we would be put out to work in the fields. Days and weeks passed as we followed the same routine of working in the fields all day, only to go back to sleep late at night. I continued my daily morning drills before going out to work every single day, without a miss. 

Provisions of food were also small, barely being able to feed us. Some days we would get lucky, seeing as some soldiers would pity us for having mainly children in the group and they would give us an extra ration of food. 

The next year in 846, preparations for a mission to reclaim Wall Maria began. Everybody knew it was a suicide mission, and that it was all a ploy to solve the problem of the food shortage. Although I was an able person who was old enough to go, I lucked out by having gotten into an accident in the fields. I had a fractured arm and wouldn’t be able to have helped in the fight, but Armin’s grandfather wasn’t so lucky. As much as I wanted to help and try to get him out of it, I was in no position of authority that could allow for any type of exception. 

The moment that we found out that there were only a few hundred survivors out of the thousands of people, it seemed like the trio found their firm resolution of joining the Survey Corps. 

In this passing year, I actually grew quite close to the three kids, and it was as if they were my younger siblings. Even if I didn’t want to join the Survey Corps originally, I do want to keep an eye out for them just in case. It had already been a while since I gave up on the idea that I may have miraculously survived back on Earth, so I just decided to continue living on in this world. If I am to live here knowing the future events that will occur, it would be better to stick to the main group of three that consisted of Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. There is a possibility that I may be able to change something, even so slightly. Not to mention all of the characters that I would like to meet, like any other fan’s dream. 

The next year, in 847, the four of us had finally made it into the 104th Cadet Corps Boot Camp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bet you're wondering where Levi is, and for that I am sorry. He probably won't come in until maybe chapter 4 or 5, so please be patient! I am following the flow of the story after all!
> 
> But I hope you liked it :)) please leave a comment down below to show what you think, or as to what you would like to happen!


	3. The one where you begin cadet boot camp

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! This chapter is a bit longer than others and it took me quite a while to write since I've been getting busy now that school is starting again. Hopefully you enjoy it! :))

“Attention! The 104th Cadet Corps Boot Camp starts now!” shouted an adult man with a bald head. It was Keith Shadis, the man who would be in charge of this camp. Hundreds of people stood around me, all standing straight with their hands behind their backs. It was the typical military pose that you would hold as you listen to a commanding officer. For a good minute, he stood there while giving us a small introduction on what we’ll be doing while insulting us, as if we wouldn’t be up for the task.

“In three years when you stand in front of a titan, it’s up to you to decide whether to become livestock or a titan killing soldier that protects humanity,” he shouted, trying to break our spirits while encouraging us. It was obvious that he was trying to weed out those who wouldn’t be able to survive as a cadet in boot camp, let alone as a soldier. Nevertheless, the majority stayed with their spirits remaining firm. As soon as he finished his speech, he walked down from the platform he stood on and headed straight to some cadets.

“Hey mop-top!” he shouted at Armin as he stood in front of him.

“Yes, sir!” Armin replied strongly. Shadis continued to interview him as he tried to destroy the young boy’s pride. The instructor continued this similar way of approaching some rookie cadets who seemed as if their resolution wasn’t strong enough. Breaking their spirits was a strong skill that he had, seeing as there were a lot of wavering glances among the cadets present.

For certain people, he seemed to notice that they had already faced a tough ordeal, so he walked right passed them. When he walked by me, his eyes held a glint of recognition but it soon faded as he continued onto the person next to me. 

“Hey, rascal..!” Shadis continued as I zoned out. I took a look at the people around me. There were quite a few people who I recognized from the show and it took a lot of restraint for me not to show my excitement. 

_ Connie, Annie, Jean, Marco, Reiner, and more!  _

I had to bite the inside of my cheek as to not let out a smile. Shadis continued until he reached Connie. He uttered some words and then grabbed onto the boy’s head, lifting him from the ground with ease. I looked at him do that from the corner of my eye, wondering how Connie’s head could support the rest of his body’s weight without damaging his neck muscles. 

The moment Keith Shadis let go of the poor boy, he set his eyes on his next target: Sasha. At this point, she was out of my line of sight so I head to turn my head a bit. Low and behold, there stood the brunette, munching on her potato. It was quite a sight to see, seeing as Sasha didn’t seem to be intimidated by the taller man, and instead defended herself as to why she was eating in the middle of the orientation. 

“Here sir, have half,” said Sasha as she handed him a piece of the potato that was smaller than what she said. Shadis took it and just looked at her.

“Have half you say?” He questioned in disbelief. He kept his eyes trained on her as he issued a punishment. 

“Since you seem to enjoy eating so much, why don’t you go run to lose some calories that you’ve clearly been gaining. Let’s say… until sunset?” Shadis stated. Sasha only kept her eyes wide, not answering the instructor.

“Or would you prefer not to have a meal for the next five days?” He finished. That’s when her eyes quivered in fear.

“No sir! I will very gladly run until the sun has set!” She shouted at the top of her lungs. Shadis only gave a little nod.

“Very good then, why haven’t you started?” He said in a demanding tone. At that remark, Sasha began to run to the side, starting her punishment. 

“We’re finished here, head on inside now you halfwits,” He stated as he walked away from the group of cadets. As soon as he was out of sight, everyone seemed to let out the breath they were holding, and relaxed. 

“Alright cadets, it’s time to move into the mess hall. You can get to know each other better in there,” stated one of the soldiers who seemed to have some sort of high position. Everyone seemed to be happy with that announcement because nobody wanted to stand outside in the glaring sun any longer. We walked there in an orderly manner, no one outpacing another, and there wasn’t that much talking involved. But as soon as we arrived in the hall, everyone dispersed into groups. Some decided to stay in the circle of friends that they were comfortable around while others went on to meet new people. I made my way towards Armin and Eren, who seemed to be in the middle of a conversation. 

“Hey guys,” I said to them as I smiled. I hadn’t been able to talk to them since the morning, and it was refreshing to be able to talk to familiar faces. “So are you sure you’ll stay to train? You know you can still drop out, it’s not too late” I said in a joking manner. They turned to me and Eren crossed his arms.

“On the first day? There’s no way I’m dropping out, not even with the instructor being as strict and imposing as he is,” he stated resolutely. “Besides, you already know what my goal is.” 

I just give him a soft smile.

“Of course, just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t regret anything in the long run,” 

_ Even though I know you’ll succeed, especially with those powers that you are still unaware of. _

“By the way, have any of you noticed that there are fewer people in the room than there was when we were outside?” Armin pointed out. Eren looked around in confusion, not noticing the minuscule detail, but I nodded in agreement. 

“I think I overheard that there were dropouts who would rather work in the fields. They were probably weak-spirited, or were intimidated by the instructor,” I stated as I leaned against the wall. They both gave me a look of shock. 

“But it’s barely the first day!” Armin exclaimed in disbelief. 

“Right? I mean I can’t blame them though, going through boot camp is pretty hard from what I’ve heard,” I asserted. 

“I guess that makes sense,” Armin replied. Our chat was then interrupted by a man entering the room announcing that dinner would be served in two hours. I sighed in lament, rubbing my already growling stomach. 

“I’ll be back guys, I’m going to go see if I can go and find some type of bread to munch on,” I said to the duo, waving at them as I walked away. They understood and left to go mingle with others.

As I walked along the mess hall, I approached a door that seemed to lead to a hallway. I didn’t see any soldiers stationed by the door, so I assumed I could walk out and leave the room as long as I returned in time for dinner. Humming a melody, I walked through the halls, exploring while trying to keep track of where different rooms were. It wasn’t that big of a building so my little adventure didn’t last too long, but it gave me some peace of mind to know what was around my surroundings. I then headed to where I believed the kitchen was situated. I could already smell what was cooking in there, making my stomach rumble even more. The door was closed, but I did hear noise from within. Suddenly a voice rang out and I knew I couldn’t just waltz in there asking for food. I creaked the door open just a bit, and I noticed that there were only two people in the kitchen from my direct line of sight.

_ Should I risk it? _

I scrunched my eyebrows, really contemplating.

_ Am I  _ that  _ hungry?  _

I looked out the window where I could see Sasha running her laps. I sure didn’t want to end up in her position. Giving up on the notion of stealing some food, I decided to head back to the mess hall in defeat. I patted my stomach that seemed to have calmed down a bit, telling myself that I only had to wait another hour or so. As I made my way back, I noticed a familiar-looking duo standing outside of a nearby window. They seemed to be holding a serious conversation by the way their faces looked.

_ Would you look at that, if it isn’t the Colossal and Armoured Titans themselves? _

I whistled softly as I let out a breath of surprise. 

_ It would be good to make a connection with them right? I mean I never held any ill will toward either of them, I was actually quite fond of Reiner, especially in the manga. _

Making a choice, I marched towards the door closest to them and stood there for a bit before opening it. I walked out onto the porch and stood there for a second, stretching before turning towards the two guys. They had a shocked expression on their faces, with a hint of wariness. I gave them a surprised look as if I hadn’t noticed anybody nearby.

“Oh, I’m sorry! Did I interrupt something by any chance?” I asked in a bashful voice.

_ Ha, I should win the actor of the year award for my amazing performance. _

Reiner snapped out of the shock he was in and smiled awkwardly.

“Oh, there’s no problem, no worries! I see you’re a part of the cadets too! I’m Reiner and this is Bertholdt,” he stated as he gestured to the taller, timid man. 

“Nice to meet you both, my name is (Y/N),” I introduced myself as I smiled at them. Bertholdt continued to look a bit cautious with a scared look on his face. Reiner noticed this fact and patted him on the back.

“Sorry about him, he’s a bit shy around strangers but I’m sure he’ll get better as training continues,” Reiner states, giving a grin. He seemed to ease into the ‘older brother type’ personality that he had in the anime. 

“I’m sure we’ll get to develop bonds with each other. So what branch will you guys join after all of this?” I inquired as I sat on the edge of the porch. I grabbed a hair tie from my pocket and began to make a bun on my head. The two guys looked at each other for a quick second.

“Probably the Military Police. I mean anybody would want to choose that option if given to choice. It’s the safest bet!” Reiner stated. I nodded.

“Well it sure is the safest choice but I can say it’s not all that great,” I said as I scrunched up my nose. Reiner looked confused for a moment, wondering why I would say that.

“Oh really? Why say that?” He interrogated.

“If you were to really go to Wall Sina, you would understand. Those unicorns act like they are all that when they probably would end up dead as soon as they face a titan. Although they may have been in the top 10 of their class, that means nothing when they have no experience fighting the real deal,” I asserted with facts. Reiner just laughed at my apparent displeasure of the Military Police. Bertholdt continued to silently listen, but at least now he seemed a bit more comfortable.

“Then which branch will you choose?” Reiner asked.

“The Survey Corps,” I boldly replied. The two guys seemed to be a bit surprised at my answer.

“The Survey Corps? You don’t seem like...” Reiner stopped mid-sentence as he looked me up and down. I scoffed.

“You do realize I’m probably older than both of you right?” I retorted. “Who knows, maybe I could be a better soldier than you both.” 

_ I wish. _

“Sorry if I disrespected you earlier!” Reiner laughed out to disperse an ill will. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way, it just caught me by surprise.”

“I understand, after all, I didn’t really want to join the Survey Corps in the first place,”  _ I didn’t want to arrive in a titan infested world to begin with.  _ “I joined because of a few people, not to mention that I also have a feeling that there will be something different, completely unexpected that will be coming in the next few years,” I indirectly hinted. 

“Huh, is that so?” Reiner mumbled as he stared at me. I looked away and began to stare at the sky. The sun was slowly beginning to set, showing that dinner was almost ready. Bertholdt gave a small nudge to the blonde. He nodded in understanding.

“Well we’ll be heading off to the mess hall since we’ve been out for a while,” finalized Reiner. “It’s been good getting to know you (Y/N).” He ended as Bertholdt also said his goodbyes towards me.

“Likewise you two, and hopefully we’ll get more chances to talk again!” I said as I waved my goodbyes to them. The sound of the door closing was heard as I continued to stare up at the sky. I laid my back on the floor, keeping an eye on the red and orange hues that filled up the atmosphere. A huge sigh escaped my mouth as I let go of the breath that seemed to hold all of my stress.

_ I didn’t realize how nervous I was when I talked to them. One slip up was all it took and I’d end up like Marco. _

_ Wait. _

I blinked as I came to a realization.

_ I can save Marco!  _

I began to smile while thinking of the kind boy. The freckled dude didn’t deserve to die the way he did, and it was quite unfair.

_ All I have to do is make sure he doesn’t listen in on the conversation between the duo! _

I squealed internally because I had been quite fond of Marco in the few episodes he appeared in. There was no huge consequence that I could think of for letting him live since he was a pretty minor character. The only consequence may be that Jean won’t work up the guts to join the Survey Corps, but I could make it work somehow. I hope.

After sitting down for a while, I noticed that the warm hues were beginning to fade into violet and blue. I finally stood up and stretched before heading back to the mess hall.

\----------

The rest of the evening was quite uneventful, except for Eren and Jean’s little heated opinions over the Survey Corps, but that was about it. I stayed with Armin a bit more and even talked to Connie and Marco for a little while. When I got to my room, I took a quick shower and then I knocked out before getting to interact with anyone else. 

When morning came, we were woken up at the early hour of 7 AM. The girls began to change, even helping each other out with all of the straps that our uniform had. Just as I finished changing myself, I noticed Sasha struggling to put on the belts around her legs. She seemed quite tired and starved from last night and couldn’t seem to think properly. I made my way to her to give her a little help.

“Hey there, my name is (Y/N), mind if I help you out?” I asked while pointing to the rest of the belts laying on her bed. She looked up at me with sunken eyes and nodded. I began to adjust the straps as we were instructed to as Sasha only seemed to stare. 

“Thank you…” Sasha mumbled out as I finished tying up the last of the straps. I smiled at her.

“Of course, no problems. After all, us girls should support each other, right?” I queried. She only nodded in acknowledgment to my comment.

“Alright girls, start heading out to get your breakfast!” exclaimed a female soldier who seemed to be in her late 20’s. Sasha immediately woke up from the trance she was in the second she heard ‘breakfast’, and she quickly left the room. I could only laugh at her eagerness for food. 

Mikasa stood by the door as she waited for me. I caught up to her seconds later and we both headed out to receive our portion of food.

\----------

“It’s time for the aptitude test, so listen up!” shouted out Instructor Shadis. He stood in front of tall contraptions with wires and harnesses. 

“There is no place for you here if you cannot perform!” He continued. 

_ Talk about stressful. _

Whenever I watched AoT, I always wondered what it would be like to move using 3DMG, but now that I look at the fundamentals of learning how to use one, I feel a bit hesitant. As the first person strapped on his harness and was lifted into the air, he flipped over after three seconds. I grimaced as his head almost made contact with the floor, but his reflexes saved him from that concussion. 

“Next!” 

As soon as I was called, I gulped down my fear as I breathed in and out to calm myself. It’s of no use to me if my emotions get in the way of me performing a fundamental task. I locked in the wires to my harness as I began to steady my beating heart. I waited patiently for a few seconds before I felt myself being lifted from the floor. I immediately held out my hands to help me balance, even moving my legs to another position.

_ Easy now, distribute your weight evenly. Breathe in, Breathe out. _

It seemed to be working out for me as I managed to stay upright the whole time. I flailed around just a little, but it was enough to keep me from flipping upside down. A grin made itself present to my face as Shadis took note of how I was doing. He nodded briefly before moving onto the next person. 

_ That means I passed, right? _

I couldn’t help but do a little inner victory dance as I was being let down back onto the ground. I had already seen Mikasa and Armin finish their tests, both passing easily. Eren on the other hand struggled just as he did in the show.

_ Wasn’t there something wrong with his harness? _

I stared at the young boy who repeatedly failed at staying upright. I walked towards Mikasa and Armin who had also seen how badly Eren was doing.

_ I can’t really mention the malfunctioning gear unless I want to be suspected of messing with it _ .  _ Besides, Eren will be able to pass in the end even with the defective piece of equipment. _

I turned to look at Shadis who was insulting Eren for being unable to complete a basic task despite his passion for becoming a soldier, even if it was him who messed with the gear in the first place. After a few more attempts resulting in failures, cadets began to become uninterested in the desperate boy. They walked away and headed to the mess hall while Mikasa, Armin, and I stayed to help Eren some more.

“Again!” Eren shouted for the umpteenth time as Armin turn the handle to raise him up, only for him to fall seconds later.

“Damn it!” shouted Eren as he pounded his fist on the ground. Mikasa looked at Eren in a worried manner and I just patted her shoulder with a small smile. 

“Don’t worry, you know how determined Eren is. He will be able to perform successfully by tomorrow,” I stated in a positive tone. She nodded meekly as if trying to convince herself that what I said is true. Suddenly we heard a big  _ thud!  _

We turned around in a hurry only to notice that Eren had taken a hit to the head.

“Eren!” we shouted in unison as we rushed towards the boy who had passed out.

\----------

By mealtime, people began to give Eren some tips on how they managed to stay upright, but it wasn’t of much help to him. He continued to wear a solemn expression on his face throughout the night, not believing that he might not be able to become a soldier just because he can’t use the gear properly. I noticed his grief so I decided to give him a little advice.

“Ask Reiner and Bertholdt to help you tonight. They were very proficient in staying balanced mid-air, so they should be able to give some good tips,” I whispered to him. Eren looked at me with a sliver of hope shining in his eyes as he nodded gratefully. I gave him a smile of encouragement as I headed out of the mess hall and towards the girls’ rooms to rest. 

The next morning, Eren finally managed to pass the test. It was also revealed that his gear was defective, leading some cadets to be amazed that he managed to stay up with the busted piece of metal. Eren gleefully shouted a victory yell as he sported a huge grin on his face. I felt a sense of pride as if seeing my little brother accomplish a big task. As soon as Eren was let down, he ran towards us.

“I did it guys! Did you see?” He said in a rushed yet chipper tone as we smiled at him. 

“Of course we did, and we couldn’t be prouder,” I said as I pretended to wipe away a fake tear of happiness. Eren just laughed as all three of us headed towards the main building. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for now! I hope you enjoyed the little interactions with different characters! 
> 
> Also, I may not be updating until next month too since school has just started and I received my schedule, only to have received many difficult classes T.T 
> 
> I will definitely continue this story though so please be patient :)
> 
> Write down any comments you have down below and thank you again for reading this story of mine!

**Author's Note:**

> And that's the end of the first chapter! Sorry if characters may be out of character at times but I really am trying! As I continue writing, I'm sure I'll get better and the story will also progress smoother! I am also sorry if I may have mistaken anything that happened in the story, so correct me if I'm wrong in the comments! 
> 
> Thank you for reading, until next time! :)


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